Appeal saves Dakota the dog

(NEWS CENTER) -- Thanks to an appeal filed by her previous owner, Dakota the dog lives.

Bonnie Martinolich, the lawyer who is representing Dakota's current owner, said in order to stop Dakota from being executed, Dakota's previous owner, Matthew Perry, had to file an appeal. Perry did just that on Tuesday afternoon.

Martinolich says that appeal put an automatic stay on the judgment to put down Dakota, and it came just in time. She says it was filed as Dakota was being taken away to be euthanized.

This case has received national attention. Dakota, a 4-year-old husky, killed a neighbor's pug in 2016. She later broke out of her court-ordered confinement and bit another dog owned by the same neighbor.

Dakota was taken to the Waterville Humane Society and ordered to be put down, but was instead adopted.

When the mistake was discovered, Governor LePage got involved. He pardon the dog, saying it should not be put down because dog's current owners weren't given due process.

On Tuesday, a hearing was held to determine whether Governor LePage's pardon held water, and a judge ordered that Dakota should still be put down. An appeal filed by Dakota's previous owner, Matthew Perry, stopped the execution from happening.

Martinolich says her client, Linda Janeski, is also appealing the the judge's decision yesterday on the grounds that her due processes rights were violated, and that the governor's pardon of Dakota does have merit.